1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dentistry, and in particular to the use and management of both disposable and reusable dental burs, which are the rotary drill-like elements that are used by dentists to cut, grind and shape teeth and restorative materials.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Modern dental practices in the United States and other countries must be equipped to perform a number of different procedures, such as the necessary preparations for amalgam and composite fillings, veneer, crown and bridge preparation, post and core procedures, endodontics, emergency treatments and procedures that are attendant to removable prosthodontics.
Dental burs, which are defined herein to include burs, files such as those that are in endodontic work, polishing wheels, and the like are available in hundreds of different shapes, sizes, and grits. For example, burs can be flat, rounded or pointed at the ends, and can be shaped as cones, inverted cones, double inverted cones, flames, pears, wheels, cylinders or any of many other shapes. Endodontic files, which are also defined as burs for purposes of this document, tend to be long and thin, which is ideal for cleaning and preparing the root canal chamber during endodontic procedures.
Every dentist has his or her preferences as to which particular burs to use for a given procedure. Accordingly, prior to performing a procedure, the dentist or dental assistant must ensure that each bur that the dentist prefers for use in the procedure is sterile and readily available. In addition, preparation must be made for other procedures that may become necessary during treatment, and spare burs of each type must be available in the event that the dentist deems a bur to be too worn for continued use.
After a procedure is completed, the used burs are collected for sterilization in an autoclave, where they may be mixed with burs from other procedures that were performed on the same or other patients, and with burs that were used by other dentists. The sterilized burs are then manually separated, sorted and returned to the appropriate dentist or room for reuse. This can be a very time consuming task.
Each bur has a limited useful lifespan, the extent of which depends on the amount of use it is given, the nature and intensity of the use, and the number of times that it has been cycled through the autoclave. Typically, a dentist will have little or no indication that a bur is at the end of its useful life until the bur fails to perform to expectations during a procedure. To avoid an annoying and inefficient hiatus in the midst of a critical procedure, it is not unusual for a dentist to intentionally avoid a used bur in favor of a new bur, and sometimes discard the used bur prematurely. Similarly, in an attempt to perform a dental procedure, a dentist may be forced to change burs several times as he or she searches for a productive bur. Every time the dentist changes the bur, she or he loses time, loses focus, becomes frustrated and increases the chance of accidentally sticking his or herself with a contaminated bur.
Burs represent a significant expense to dental practices, and such inefficient management of used burs increases this expense unnecessarily. Unfortunately, however, it has been difficult to address this problem because there is no effective way to track the number of times each bur has been used in a procedure and/or cycled through the autoclave.
A need exists for a system and process for managing dental burs that permits more efficient use of staff time in a dental practice, that makes it possible to keep track of the amount of use to which individual burs have been subjected, and that provides a systematic and easy method to learn the process of storing, using, sterilizing, stocking and reordering dental burs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system and process for managing dental burs that permits more efficient use of staff time in a dental practice and that makes it possible to keep track of the amount of use to which individual burs have been subjected so as to make it possible to fully utilize each bur to its full potential. Accordingly, the invention helps prevent the negative consequences of overusing burs (i.e. intra-oral separation, excessive heat generation, etc.). The invention also provides a systematic and easy method to learn the process of storing, using, sterilizing, stocking and reordering dental burs.
In order to achieve the above and other objects of the invention, a method of managing dental burs according to a first aspect of the invention includes steps of: (a) using a dental bur; (b) storing the used dental bur; and (c) providing an indication to a dental professional that is specific to the stored used dental bur that is indicative of the extent to which the stored dental bur has been used.
A method of managing dental burs according to a second aspect of the invention includes steps of: (a) providing a dental bur carrier that has been configured according to the preferences of a particular dental professional; (b) removing a dental bur from the dental bur carrier; (c) using the dental bur; (d) returning the used bur to the carrier; and (e) providing an indication on the carrier that is specific to the used dental bur that is indicative of the extent to which the used dental bur has been used.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a method of customizing a set of dental burs in accommodation with the preferences of an individual dental professional, includes steps of: (a) recording information on the dental professional""s preferences for a particular procedure; (b) sending the information to a configuring facility; and (c) configuring a dental bur carrier that is in conformance with the recorded preferences.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a system for storing a plurality of dental burs includes a carrier having a plurality of sockets defined therein, each of said sockets being constructed and arranged to receive one end of a dental bur; and an indicator for providing an indication to a dental professional that is specific to the extent to which at least one dental bur that is positioned in at least one of the sockets has been used.
A system for managing dental burs in accommodation to the preferences of individual dental professional(s) includes, according to a fifth aspect of the invention, a carrier having a plurality of sockets defined therein, each of said sockets being constructed and arranged to receive one end of a dental bur; a template on the carrier to aid in the proper identification of individual burs and proper placement of the burs in the respective sockets; and indicia on the carrier that is indicative of specific dental professional(s) and procedure(s) for which the system is configured.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.